Romance and Mysteries
by Twoppers
Summary: A round-robin fic created by those good people at TWoP. It's finally done. The romance is all but forgotten, and the mystery is just Annie's psychosis, but it's still an interesting read. Bizarre 'n twisted but interesting. R for violence/adult themes.
1. Default Chapter

Title: Romance and Mysteries  
  
Authors so far: Tiger220, Grace W., Skia  
  
Authors' Note: As you can see, this fic is the work of many people. It's a running story where each person posts part of it and leaves it unfinished so that the next person can play along. The story is currently being worked on at televisionwithoutpity.com, so feel free to come on over and add your own piece.  
  
Disclaimer: We don't own the characters or anything else (Brenda Hampton, et al do), but if we did, things might be better…  
  
*********  
  
Chapter 1: Rise and Shine  
  
Almost awake, Simon rolled over, and promptly rolled out of bed. "Ow..." he half groaned, making no effort to untangle his limbs from the blanket. Sure he was on the floor, but it was oddly comfortable with the sun shining on his back...the sun shining on his back??!!! It shouldn't be this light out! Simon jumped up and looked at his clock, dismayed to see a red 12:00 flashing at him. Checking his watch, he realized it was already 9:30 in the morning. "Shhh..." Simon said, stopping himself before any words actually left his mouth.  
  
He quickly searched a pile of laundry for something halfway clean. He couldn't believe this had happened. Simon knew he was supposed to start "being a man" and taking responsibilities for himself, but how was he supposed to know that last night's rain storm would make the power go out? "Why didn't someone wake me up??" He thought. "They knew I had a huge test today....  
  
It was evident that no one else had slept in the way he had. He really was a sound sleeper. Everyone else had already left the house. Even mom, Sam and David were gone. "Probably to the library," he thought. There was a story hour that they liked to go to on Tuesdays. Hopefully one of his parents would write him a note to excuse his absence from the test. Though, hard to tell, in which case … Ughh! That whole being a man and taking responsibility thing was starting to sound over-rated.  
  
It was as he passed the twins room on his way to pick up his book bag that he had the first hint that something more than just a power outage had occurred during that dark and stormy night. He noticed that the twins' PJs were lying just under the blankets.  
  
Just barely pausing as he passed the twins room Simon rushed down to the kitchen, jumping over the last 4 steps. With no one to yell at him, he took a swig from the orange juice carton and searched his wallet for change for the bus. Confused, he listened to the crappy music that seemed to have started playing in the kitchen, as he felt his gaze shift around the room. It was almost as if he was forced to stare at all the mundane things in the kitchen - the dripping faucet, plants on the windowsill, a bird outside the window. Finally he noticed the kitchen table, where his father's car keys lay next to a half eaten piece of toast. He paused in his search for coins, considering.  
  
Fuck it, he thought. I've got to get to school.  
  
He grabbed the keys and ran out the back door. 


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Romance and Mysteries  
  
Authors: Prince_Bacchus, Grace W., Danni-Ellie, Darius731  
  
Authors' Note: As you can see, this fic is the work of many people. It's a running story where each person posts part of it and leaves it unfinished so that the next person can play along. The story is currently being worked on at televisionwithoutpity.com, so feel free to come on over and add your own piece.  
  
Disclaimer: We don't own the characters or anything else (Brenda Hampton, et al do), but if we did, things might be better…  
  
*********  
  
Chapter 2: Late and Spacey  
  
No stranger to the occasional late day, Simon knew that his best chance was to wait for the bell. Once the halls were flooded with his peers (and he used the term loosely), he casually stepped over to his locker, looking back once to see if any of his morning teachers were around.  
  
He turned to face forward and jumped slightly.  
  
"I signed in for you in Study Hall," Morris said.  
  
"Thanks," said Simon, trying not to smile. He opened his locker and made the obligatory book trade. Morris leaned against the lockers.  
  
"So," Morris said, "After school. You. Me. Foozeball tournament. Sound good?"  
  
Simon shrugged, not looking to his friend, still stifling his smile. "Yeah, sure, if you throw in a pizza hit beforehand."  
  
"Expensive date," Morris said. Simon's face went whiter than usual, and his eyes darted to Morris. Simon looked around to make sure no one was in earshot. "What?" Morris said.  
  
"That was stupid."  
  
"Chill out, Simon." Morris's hand barely touched Simon's shoulder before the preacher's son, swept it away. Morris took a step back.  
  
"I'm sorry, it's just... we... I don't want anyone to know about this."  
  
"A public announcement isn't the first thing on my list either, but we won't need one if you keep getting all whacked out every time we're in the same place."  
  
"You know who my dad is. I can't..."  
  
"You know, unlike half this town, your Dad isn't the most important Camden in my book." Simon stood there, with nothing to say, and then the bell rang. "You'd better go. You're late enough," Morris said. He reached over and flipped Simon's collar down into place.  
  
"Maybe we should..." Simon began. "We jsut have to act like we did before."  
  
Morris nodded, clearly not agreeing, and turned to leave. He was a few steps down the already empty hall, when Simon called out to him.  
  
"Morris, look I..."  
  
"No, it's cool," Morris said without looking back. "I get it. Last week didn't happen." He kept on walking. Simon slammed his locker and started off the other way.  
  
  
  
Heading into English, Simon noticed that quite a few students were missing from the class. Not a single Glee Club Member was there. In fact, all the truly annoying, holier than thou students were gone. That's odd, Simon thought, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. First my family and now this? I feel like I'm in a bad episode of The Twilight Zone.  
  
"Nice of you to join us, Mr. Camden," Mr. McAdams, his teacher, said before turning back to the blackboard.  
  
Simon blushed slightly when what was left of the class giggled. "I'm sorry. It's just been a . . . very unusual morning."  
  
Mr. McAdams contented himself with an impatient sigh in response to Simon's skimpy excuse, and turned back to the chalkboard and began writing.  
  
Simon felt himself begin to slowly space out-- he tapped his pencil quietly on his desk and shifted down more comfortably in his seat. From where he was, he could count the large amount of people missing. Where were they all, anyway? Against his will, the theme song to the Twilight Zone began to play in his head as he thought,  
  
At least that annoying girl who usually sits next to me is gone. I don't think I could stand another question along the lines of "Are you going to be a preacher, too?" Maybe I could have told her I was becoming a Rabbi instead, given the nature of things lately.  
  
"Simon! What is wrong with you today? First you come into class late, now you aren't answering my question! I don't want to have to repeat myself."  
  
"Uhh, erm . . ." Simon stammered lamely, squirming under the dark glare of Mr. McAdams. I'm screwed . . . 


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Romance and Mysteries  
  
Authors: Tiger220, sophronia, Prince_Bacchus, Cowshark, Hoedogg, Mr. Hairy  
  
Authors' Note: As you can see, this fic is the work of many people. It's a running story where each person posts part of it and leaves it unfinished so that the next person can play along. The story is currently being worked on at televisionwithoutpity.com, so feel free to come on over and add your own piece.  
  
Disclaimer: We don't own the characters or anything else (Brenda Hampton, et al do), but if we did, things might be better…  
  
*********  
  
Chapter 3:  
  
"Uhhh..umm...well..." Simon struggled for something to say to his teacher, but nothing would come out. Simon's prayers were answered when the bell rang, releasing him from this highly uncomfortable moment.  
  
With a cocky smile and tilt of his head, Simon jumped from his chair and followed his classmates out the door. He hadn't made it more than three feet before Davey Nichols stopped him.  
  
"Hey, Simon man, you got any gum..." he said, his eyes shifting back and forth. What was with this kid and gum?? Day in and day out Davey would stop and ask for bubble gum. "Well," Simon thought to himself, "at least it's not cigarettes. Or coffee. That crap will stunt your growth.."  
  
Reaching into his pocket he pulled out his last stick of Big Red. The pockets were kind of tight (hell, the pants were kind of tight) and the car keys came out with the gum and fell to the floor.  
  
Simon bent down to pick up the keys, but before he could reach them, a hand swooped in and grabbed them away. Looking up, Simon realized that the hand belonged to Mike, Morris's friend who'd given him the spiked punch at the party.  
  
"Hey!" Simon yelled. "Give those back!"  
  
Mike laughed and fired the keys to his friend Tom, who took off down the hall. Simon frantically ran after him, but Tom had a head start. Other kids heading for their classes kept getting in the way. Simon finally got close enough to grab at Tom's shirt sleeve as he turned to go down the staircase.  
  
Holding the keys above Simon's head, Tom spotted Morris at the bottom of the stairs. "Morris!" he shouted, and flung the keys down just as Morris looked up. With his athletic reflexes, Morris caught the keys easily. Then he looked up again, and seeing Simon, realized who was the victim in this game of keep-away. A smile spread across his face, and he held the keys up for Simon to see.  
  
Relieved, Simon thundered down the stairs. But just as he stretched out his hand to take the keys, Morris closed them in his palm, whirled and took off in the opposite direction. For a second, Simon was too shocked to react as Morris sped down the hallway, smirking at him over his shoulder. Then he sprinted down the hallway in desperate pursuit.  
  
Simon darted around the corner, looking from one side to the other for Morris. He saw the door to the bathroom swinging open and shut, and headed in. He looked around and couldn't see anyone. Just then, everything went dark as a pair of hands passed over his face. He shook his head and smirked.  
  
"Give me my keys back."  
  
"Just like that? Too easy."  
  
"Getting me back?"  
  
"Maybe." Simon peeled MOrris's hands off his eyes and turned around, crossing his arms.  
  
"Okay. Hand 'em over."  
  
"Come and get them."  
  
"Come on, Morris, I'm having a day that's about ten notches above David Lynch on the creepy scale. I don't need this." Morris just shrugged and stood there. "You are such an asshole," Simon said. He smirked and held out his hand. "Come on."  
  
Morris sauntered over until he was about an inch from Simon's face. "Okay. But what do I get?" Simon just smirked, fully amused. "I knew you'd be too..." Morris didn't finish. He felt a tug on his jacket and a preacher boy's lips on his.  
  
Simon kissed Morris hard, running his fingers through his pale hair. He paused, and moved his hand to Morris' arm, caressing his bicep, and running his fingernail across the cotton-enclosed skin. The older boy shivered, and pressed closer to Simon. Simon took this opportunity to move his hand further downward, and attempted to capture the keys from his hand.  
  
Morris pulled back, keys firmly in his grasp. "Sneaky."  
  
Simon waggled his eyebrows. "I have to try."  
  
"Come and get 'em." Morris grinned, and shoved the keys down the front of his jeans.  
  
"You know you're insane, right?"  
  
Morris undid the top button of the fly. Simon blushed, and started to walk towards him.  
  
But then the bathroom door started to open...  
  
"What the hell's going on in here, boys?" said Tom as he burst through the bathroom door.  
  
In a panic, Simon improvised. "He flushed my keys! They went down the toilet," he whined convincingly. He pointed at a stall to distract Tom while Morris quickly rebuttoned his pants.  
  
Tom stared at the stall in disbelief for a moment, then turned to Morris with a look of admiration and high-fived him. He then laughed tauntingly as he turned around and exited the bathroom without a word.  
  
"Whew! That was close," said Simon. Then he turned on Morris. In his sternest voice possible -- which sounded about as threatening as a barking puppy -- he reproached Morris. "You have got to stop doing this!"  
  
"I'll do what I like, because YOU'RE MY BITCH!" replied Morris as he playfully slapped Simon on both cheeks. "BITCH!" Simon smiled and gave Morris a brief kiss on the cheek before leaving the bathroom. His mind on Morris, he ran right into the man standing before him. Jerked from his reverie, Simon found himself face to face with certain death.  
  
His father, Rev. Eric Camden, stared at his son, anger in his eyes. "Give me the keys, and come with me. Now." 


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Romance and Mysteries  
  
Authors: Grace W., Dani-Ellie, Hoedogg, Darius731, Halcyon  
  
Authors' Note: As you can see, this fic is the work of many people. It's a running story where each person posts part of it and leaves it unfinished so that the next person can play along. The story is currently being worked on at televisionwithoutpity.com, so feel free to come on over and add your own piece.  
  
Disclaimer: We don't own the characters or anything else (Brenda Hampton, et al do), but if we did, things might be better…  
  
*********  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Simon followed his father. Worried. What had he seen? What had he heard?  
  
"Where were you?" His father demanded, "I had the principal make a notice on the intercom and you didn't answer."  
  
"Umm … I was busy … with a … umm friend."  
  
They reached the car, and Eric unlocked the doors. "Look," Eric said, "I'm sorry for losing it like that but, there's something you've got to know. When I woke up this morning I looked around and everyone else in the family was gone. I had a bite of breakfast and then went out to look for them." He paused, as though suffering from a great weight. "They're not the only ones that are gone Simon. I went to see people in the Congregation to see if any of them knew anything and most of them, certainly all of the people we knew best at Church, were gone too."  
  
Simon put his hand to his head. Ugh, this was too much. There was school, hiding what was going on between him and Morris, and, on top of it all, the sudden disappearance of about half the town. Thankfully, his father was so preoccupied with worrying about where everyone had gone that he didn't think to reprimand his son for taking off with the car.  
  
"I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation, Dad," Simon said, staring out the window as his father took off out of the parking lot. "Maybe there's some sort of party or something somewhere."  
  
"You mean there could be something going on in Glen Oak that I don't know about?" Eric asked with a small chuckle. "I don't think so. I even tried to call Sgt. Michaels, but there was no answer at his desk. There's something strange going on today, Simon. And I don't like it one bit."  
  
****  
  
Meanwhile, on the freeway, Annie drove her van full of sleepy-eyed passengers onward to their destination.  
  
Thinking back, she recalled opening her sleeping husband's planner while the remnants of the night's thunderstorm rumbled away from Glenoak. "Simple curiosity. Nothing wrong with that," she had thought.  
  
And then a blank spot in her memory.  
  
What had she seen in that planner? What had prompted her, before dawn, to call every woman on his appointment list -- rousting most of them out of their sleep -- and tell them they must meet her at noon at the destination? "It's very important," she had told them. But why? She didn't exactly know, or couldn't remember; not just yet, anyway.  
  
She also didn't know what had compelled her to gather her passengers -- her family -- at the break of dawn, and load them into the van. They had been confused, half-asleep, and wondering why she kept shushing them so as not to wake Simon and her husband. She wasn't sure exactly why she needed to take the girls to this place, this morning. But something inside, some unheard voice, told her she was right to do it all. She was right to hide it from Eric and her older sons, because they were men and they would not accept this journey. It was OK to bring the twins; they were too young to understand. But Simon, Matt, and the Reverend must not know. They must not!  
  
Ruthie squirmed uncomfortably in her cramped seat, squished as she was between the twins, who were taking turns pulling her hair, staring at her with their blank eyes and squealing,  
  
"Mary!"  
  
Ruthie glared at them both. Just a little while ago they had been asleep, and this trip bearable. After all, it had gotten her out of school, and she couldn't help wondering where they were headed. Now that the twins were awake, the rest of the ride would suck. Big time.  
  
"What?!" cried Annie incredulously from the front seat.  
  
It was only then Ruthie realized she'd spoken out loud.  
  
Think fast, Ruthie! She mentally prompted herself, then pitched her voice to be at it's most annoying . . .  
  
"I just wanted to know," she said, and paused for emphasis, "are we there yet?"  
  
Annie let out a long sigh.  
  
"No, we aren't."  
  
"When will we be there?" She demanded, voice still at its most irritating.  
  
Annie's reply was eerily serene. "When the voices tell me to stop."  
  
Uh oh . . . thought Ruthie. She's really gone over the edge this time . . .  
  
She looked out the window, and tried to calculate how hard she would hit the ground if she had to jump out of the van. Just then, she saw a flash of two familiar faces.  
  
"Wait a minute," Ruthie said aloud. "Wasn't that Dad and Simon?"  
  
"No, no," Annie replied. "I'm sure it wasn't them. And anyway, we don't have time to waste. We've got to get to the airport."  
  
"What for? Just exactly where are we going anyway?" asked Ruthie.  
  
"You'll find out soon enough, but here's a hint. We're going somewhere with alot of volcanos. Now keep quiet and let me concentrate on the road."  
  
Ruthie sighed and leaned her head back against the seat. Volcanos? Maybe her mom meant Hawaii. Or maybe she had finally lost all sense of sanity.  
  
It didn't seem all that long ago that Ruthie's life was normal. Well, semi- normal, at any rate. It was just her and her family, living their lives like any other American family. Then, one day, she couldn't really remember when, things started getting weird at her house. Mary and Lucy had lost all focus on their future and her mom had gone crazy. Or, so it seemed.  
  
Maybe it all started when Mary got caught vandalizing the gym. Or maybe it was something else entirely. She didn't know and frankly, she didn't care. She just wanted her life back and, more than that, she wanted to be out of the car. "Mom, stop!" 


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Romance and Mysteries  
  
Authors: Deadpoet, gayguysaboudhere, Ishafel,  
  
Authors' Note: As you can see, this fic is the work of many people. It's a running story where each person posts part of it and leaves it unfinished so that the next person can play along. The story is currently being worked on at televisionwithoutpity.com, so feel free to come on over and add your own piece.  
  
Disclaimer: We don't own the characters or anything else (Brenda Hampton, et al do), but if we did, things might be better…  
  
*********  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Looking in the rearview mirror, Ruthie saw Annie's eyes narrow. "What is it Ruthie?" she asked, with an edge to her voice.  
  
Ruthie's mind raced. She was afraid, really afraid, of her mother for the first time in her life. She didn't want to push her too far. She quickly came up with an excuse, so it wouldn't seem like she was defying her mother. "Umm...I have to go to the bathroom," she said. "Really bad."  
  
Please let her stop, Ruthie thought. Let her stop and I can go get help.  
  
Annie sighed. "Ok. We'll stop at this rest stop. But we are leaving right after you're done going bathroom. No delays. Understand?"  
  
Ruthie nodded.  
  
They parked at the rest stop, and the van's passengers all climbed out, stretching and heading for the restrooms.  
  
As Ruthie walked into the restroom, she entered one of the stalls and relieved herself. Then, she sat and waited. She didn't know how long she stayed there, but knew she had to stay long enough for her mother and the others to leave without her. After what seemed like an hour, but perhaps was only minutes, she quietly exited the stall, and then the bathroom.  
  
When she came outside in the bright air, she scanned the parking lot. The van was nowhere in sight. Ruthie sighed with relief.  
  
As she stood in the parking lot, squinting up at the sun, Ruthie wondered, really wondered, what kind of woman would do a thing like this. What was wrong with her mother? It was not only the strangeness of the whole unexplained trip. What kind of mother would drive off without her 11-year old daughter? Would Annie even notice she was gone?  
  
She dug into her pocket for change, eyeing the pay phone in front of the gas station. The person she wanted to talk to more than anyone in the world was Robbie, but would he be home? She slunk toward the pay phone, trying to avoid the curious gaze of the cashier, who might wonder why she wasn't in school.  
  
Lucy sat in the car, holding a tissue to her bleeding nose. Her mother, her own mother, had actually hit her. She'd tried to stop her from leaving Ruthie, but Annie had seemed in a panic.  
  
"There's no time!" she had said. "Get in the car now!" And when Lucy had resisted, Annie had slapped her across the face, giving her a bloody nose.  
  
"Lucy." Annie's voice dragged Lucy back to the present. "I'm sorry I hit you, but you must learn that I am your mother and I know best." Lucy just nodded, wondering when Annie had become so controlling and abusive, wondering when she had finally just given in and given up her dreams to be the "woman" her parents expected her to be. Most of all, she wondered what would happen to Ruthie.  
  
****  
  
Eric didn't know how he knew Annie was heading for the airport, but after passing her on the road, he knew that's where she was going. His only hope was to beat her there, and stop her before she could leave with his family.  
  
Together, Simon and Eric combed the airport, looking for any sign of Annie, the girls, and the twins. "Dad!" Simon yelled, "there they are!" Eric had to squint to see what gate they were headed toward.  
  
"Why on earth are they going to-" he started, but was cut off by Simon.  
  
"Dad? Where's Ruthie?"  
  
Doing a double take, Eric scanned the crowd again and found no sign of his youngest daughter.  
  
*****  
  
At the gas station, Ruthie dialed the number for her house, but hung up before the phone could ring. She was terrified Matt would answer--she knew that somehow he had to be involved in all of this. Just then a shiny navy blue Cadillac sedan pulled into the parking lot. Ruthie gasped as she recognized the man behind the wheel. It was Rabbi Richard, the father of her brother's estranged wife. She froze, not sure if he had seen her, but it was too late.  
  
"Why, Ruthie Camden," he said jovially. "What are you doing way out here?"  
  
"I...was waiting for...a friend. But I guess she's not coming," she stammered. Lying went against everything she had been taught, but she couldn't bear to tell the truth.  
  
"Well, hop in, I'll run you home, the rabbi smirked. "I've been meaning to talk to you anyway."  
  
Hesitantly Ruthie climbed in, sinking into the Cadillac's leather seat. "What did you want to talk to me about, sir?"  
  
"I'd like to tell you a story," the rabbi answered. He met Ruthie's curious gaze. "You see, a few years ago, oh, say twelve years, I met a beautiful woman and fell in love with her. Both of us were married, and I knew our love could never be. But we were weak, Ruthie, weak as only two people in love could be. One day, while my wife and child were in New York visiting family, she came to me and we consummated our love. From our love, a child was conceived, and because she believed that divorce was unlawful, she bore that child in secret. Her husband never knew the blood that ran in the veins of his young daughter... You, Ruthie, are that child, born of the love Annie and I shared."  
  
He braked the car smoothly to a stop. "Well, Ruthie, here you are. I only hope that we can be friends, hmm?"  
  
Looking at this man who claimed to be her father, Ruthie began to cry. Even volcanoes would have been better than this. 


	6. Chapter 6

Title: Romance and Mysteries  
  
Authors: Buck626, sophronia, 7thSpud, Hoedogg  
  
Authors' Note: As you can see, this fic is the work of many people. It's a running story where each person posts part of it and leaves it unfinished so that the next person can play along. The story is currently being worked on at televisionwithoutpity.com, so feel free to come on over and add your own piece.  
  
Disclaimer: We don't own the characters or anything else (Brenda Hampton, et al do), but if we did, things might be better…  
  
*********  
  
Chapter 6  
  
The Rabbi exited the drive and drove off, leaving Ruthie at the front steps. She gazed around her house. Of course the door was locked. So she went to a side window, picked up a garden rake left in haste when Annie kidnapped her children, broke a window and climbed into the house.  
  
Upstairs, in the bathroom, she found Matt sitting on the closed toilet seat, rocking back and forth with a mischievous smile. "I'll get her for this," he said, holding a steak knife, sharp-edged at his stomach. "Now I have to be on the show for two more years."  
  
Ruthie calmed her brother down, telling him he was an idiot anyway to get married after one show. Just then Matt, had a thought -- for what might have been the first time in his life. "Ruthie, you and I can run away together. Start a new life. What do ya think?"  
  
Ruthie agreed. She normally wouldn't, but having just discovered her father was the rabbi, she agreed. Matt was stunned at the news. "I always wondered why you were smarter than the rest of us," he said.  
  
The two hopped in his 86 Camaro and headed out the drive and to the nearest freeway, set for Vegas. But just then, they saw PC sprinting down the street in a push-up bra and bikini-like panties. "Matt, I've changed my mind, I want you," PC said, slightly out of breath from her not-so- leisurely jog.  
  
For a moment, he considered. Just think. The sex. The good times. The sex. The charm of building a family together. The sex. Then he changed course.  
  
"It's too late, you bitch," he countered. "I had to sign for 2 years."  
  
PC stood in front of the Camaro, holding her naked arms longingly for Matt. "I'll make all your dreams come true. I will grant you a 3-some, and I'll find a way to get you that starring role in a major motion picture that doesn't suck."  
  
Ruthie, trying not to gag, began to question her half-naked former sister- in-law. But PC quickly tempered the young fireball, promising something along the lines of Robbie, leaping, and a huge cake. Matt would have none of this. He immediately stepped on the pedal, running over his estranged wife, spraying blood all over the neighborhood. PC was still alive, though. Badly wounded, she crawled to the side of the street.  
  
The ambulance would come, but the Rabbi was on his way to San Diego for a convention. And Matt and Ruthie were on their way to Interstate 15, the road to riches. And Vegas. Until they stopped for gas in Victorville where Ruthie noticed Robbie's car parked in front of one of the gas pumps.  
  
While Matt pumped the gas and muttered to himself, Ruthie sneaked out of the car and into the Stop N Shop, where she spotted Robbie and International Pop Sensation Joy Enriquez buying milk and 100%-all-natural snacks.  
  
"Ruthie!" Robbie gasped, wrinkling his brow with surprise. "What are you doing here?"  
  
Ruthie told them the whole sad story of her escaping from her mother's car, the Rabbi's revelations, deciding to run off with Matt, and the sorry demise of PC. She tried to make herself look extra pathetic and cute, hoping Robbie would feel sorry for her.  
  
But it was IPS Joy who clapped her hands and said, "Ruthie, you should come with us! We're going to Vegas to get married and start our life together! I've got a gig at the Aladdin, and you can be my back-up dancer! Please come with us!" IPS Joy gyrated in her pink leather pants with excitement at the thought.  
  
Ruthie was only too happy to say yes. Living in Vegas with Robbie and IPS Joy would be much better than the horror of being with Matt. She was certain that it would only take her a few days to convince Robbie to fall in love with her and dump IPS Joy anyway.  
  
As Ruthie and IPS Joy headed back to Robbie's car, Ruthie munching on a granola bar, Robbie surreptitiously took out his cell phone and dialed a number. "It's all right, Mrs. Camden, we've got her," he said. "Where did you want us to take her again? . . . Okay, we'll see you there."  
  
Ruthie was at the car when she overheard Robbie's betrayal. Angered to the point of rage, she grabbed his keys from the ignition and threw them down a nearby sewer drain.  
  
"Take that, you bastard!" she yelled. "I never want to see your lying face or your skanky ho' ever again! You can rot out here in the desert for all I care!"  
  
And with that, while Matt was inside to pay for gas, she took what she thought was her last opportunity to get away: she jumped into the driver's seat of Matt's '86 Camaro, adjusted the seat, and sped off down the highway.  
  
*******  
  
Meanwhile, Annie and what was left of her brood boarded the Jet Blue airplane. When they were seated, Mary helpfully pointed out the location of the nearest emergency exit, demonstrated how to buckle the seatbelts, and asked if anyone would like a beverage before the plane left the gate. Lucy didn't want a drink, but she asked for some nuts instead. Annie was too wrapped up in her thoughts to even consider the offer.  
  
This is good, she told herself. Robbie will get Ruthie there. I can trust Robbie, even though he's a man. After all, he has practically been neutered by living in my house for as long as he has. Oh yes, he will do my bidding and bring Ruthie back to me. The plan will work.  
  
She was snapped out of her thoughts as she heard her cell phone ring. "The plan didn't work," said Robbie on the other end of the line.  
  
"What do you mean it didn't work!" she shrieked, as other passengers stared in horror.  
  
"Ruthie overheard me talking to you. She got mad and drove away in Matt's Camaro."  
  
"Matt! What was Matt doing there? YOU IDIOT!!!" Annie could take no more of this. It was time to take all matters into her own hands. With a screwed-up look of determination on her face, she stormed down the aisle of the plane.  
  
"Ma'am, you'll have to be seated..." THWAP! Annie punched the intrusive flight attendant in the nose, knocking her out cold. She then kicked down the cockpit door and karate chopped the pilot and co-pilot. Her blows were not well-aimed, but they were forceful enough to stun the men. They fell from their seats, and control of the plane was all hers. 


	7. Chapter 7

Title: Romance and Mysteries  
  
Authors: linda23456, sophronia, buck626  
  
Authors' Note: As you can see, this fic is the work of many people. It's a running story where each person posts part of it and leaves it unfinished so that the next person can play along. The story is currently being worked on at televisionwithoutpity.com, so feel free to come on over and add your own piece.  
  
Disclaimer: We don't own the characters or anything else (Brenda Hampton, et al do), but if we did, things might be better…  
  
*********  
  
Chapter 7  
  
By the time Ruthie rolled into Vegas, the sun was starting to set. The whole town had a warm orange glow as the lights from the casinos got brighter and brighter. As Ruthie drove up the Las Vegas Strip, she marveled at the sights. "What a cool place this is," she thought. "I wonder why Mom and Dad never brought us here on vacation. It must be a very religious place since there are so many chapels here."  
  
Not sure of where to go next, and very tired from the trip, she longed for a place to take a nap. Unfortunately, the only money she had was $5.37 that she found under the car seats. The money was in a small change purse with a copy of her half sister/ex-sister-in-law Sarah's driver's license.  
  
Ruthie spotted a billboard with two guys and a big pretty tiger on it and decided that this seemed like a good place to stop. She pulled the car into the Mirage and handed the keys to the valet. She entered the building and couldn't believe her eyes. In front of her was what must be the world's biggest arcade!!  
  
She ran to the first machine she saw and threw $5.00 into it. She pushed the button and suddenly lights began flashing and bells were ringing. Money began pouring out of the machine. "What a cool arcade!" exclaimed Ruthie as a casino employee approached her.  
  
"Excuse me miss, but do you have any I.D.?" asked the security guard.  
  
"I have this one," said Ruthie, as she handed him Sarah's license.  
  
The security guard looked at Ruthie and then at the I.D. and handed it back to her. "Sorry about that, Ms. Camden. Congratulations on your winnings."  
  
Fiercely, Annie gripped the controls of the plane. She felt a bit better now that she was piloting the plane. It was always the case that if you wanted something done right, you just had to do it yourself. She started thinking about their destination. She was positive that her children would be grateful once they realized that everything was for the best -- once they were reminded that she always knew what was best for them, no matter what they thought.  
  
Suddenly her reverie was interrupted by squawks from the radio. Angry voices demanded that she land the plane immediately.  
  
Annie was furious. How dare these peons question her authority? It was just like her hero, Richard Nixon! Everyone was always against him, too! But he never gave in, and she wasn't about to, either.  
  
Annie picked up the radio headset and barked into it, "This is Annie Camden! You can stop your ridiculous threats and demands, because I'm only doing God's work! I'm a wife and mother, after all! I taught morality to children!"  
  
Another voice broke throught the static. Annie was astonished to hear her husband desperately pleading, "Annie! You've got to listen to them! Stop the plane!"  
  
Annie glanced out the side window of the cockpit and saw her husband and her son Simon pacing her in a small plane. Simon was piloting, while Eric pleaded with his wife over the plane's radio.  
  
"Eric!" Annie shrieked. "How could you? Simon doesn't even have his driver's license yet!"  
  
Matt, Robbie and International Pop Sensation all stood in front of the gas station, arguing over what they would do next. Robbie and IPS Joy were trying to figure a way to dump Matt -- they had rented the Tommy and Pamela Lee video, and out of sight of RevCam and PsychoCam, IPS and soon-to-be Mr. IPS were finally able to duplicate the pulling-over-to-the-side-of-the- freeway scene. Matt was staring blankly at map, wondering out loud why there was a street called Bear Valley Road in the middle of the desert. Their concentration was broke, however, when they looked up and saw a passenger jet, a Cessna, and nine fighter jets flying in convoy. Little did they know...  
  
Back at the plane, Annie has snapped. She strapped on pair of flight goggles and a leather jacket and she already drugged the flight personnel. The fighter jets pleaded with Annie to turn around. But they said they wouldn't shoot her down, because -- of course -- one of the fighter pilots is a "friend" of RevCam's. Apparently, he coaxed him out of a life of drugs and necrophilia in the early 70s.  
  
Simon, meanwhile, is showing exemplary flight skills for a clown who's never flown a plane. "I learned a lot in aviation class, dad. You know, one of the 17 classes I took with Morris last year." RevCam thought of asking him about his possible alternative lifestyle, but there were more pressing concerns.  
  
On the plane, Mary was about to do something, but then she looked out the window and saw stud pony Robbie standing in front of a gas station with IPS and Dopey. "That bastard," she said to me. "He won't do me and my dying career, but he'll climb on that skank who could be worth millions soon."  
  
Lucy meanwhile, who's role has been reduced so much, she's wondering if she's been dropped to recurring status, is keeping an eye on the kids, but don't count her out! She has a plan that involves her, Mary and a well- place steel cage that just happens to be on the plane.... 


	8. Chapter 8

Title: Romance and Mysteries  
  
Authors: Hoedogg, Hans the bold, Ishafel  
  
Authors' Note: As you can see, this fic is the work of many people. It's a running story where each person posts part of it and leaves it unfinished so that the next person can play along. The story is currently being worked on at televisionwithoutpity.com, so feel free to come on over and add your own piece.  
  
Disclaimer: We don't own the characters or anything else (Brenda Hampton, et al do), but if we did, things might be better…  
  
*********  
  
Chapter 8 by Hoedogg, Hans the bold, Ishafel,  
  
***San Diego***  
  
Rabbi Glass was on a break at his convention in San Diego when he heard the disturbing voicemail message: his daughter was in critical condition at a hospital in Glenoak. He had left the convention and raced to her bedside as quickly as he could. Thank goodness they had stabilized her, and despite the painkillers she had been able to tell him who did this to her.  
  
That son-of-a-bitch! First his sorry Christian ass had secretly married his Jewish daughter. Now, in a fit of vengeance over their estrangement, he had done this to her. It was unspeakable. And it was time for him to pay.  
  
Rabbi Glass called his friend in the super-secret-deep-underground Jewish Mafia, and put out a price on Matt Camden's head.  
  
****Buffalo*****  
  
Colonel "Rambo No-Nonsense" Camden set down his camouflage colored satellite cell phone and frowned. Well, he always wore a frown, since he was, after all, Colonel "Rambo No-Nonsense" Camden, but now his frown deepened.  
  
Trouble. He knew it.  
  
There was always trouble, back there in California. It was all those damn tree-hugging gun control faggot freak liberals. He had hoped that his son would have straightened things out by now, but it was obvious after all these years that Eric was just too big a damn wussy to pull it off. He couldn't control women, for one thing, and now things had gotten completely out of hand. And his grandson, the damn faggot wimp, had gone and married one of those non-Christian people he kept hearing about, whoever they were.  
  
He, Colonel RNN Camden, would just have to take care of things himself.  
  
He stood, and a little martial music played. It was his chair; some years ago he had had a friend install a little pressure sensitive solid state music box in the seat, so that everyone knew when he, the Colonel, stood up. That way they would all stand up too, and salute.  
  
Ruth, his obedient wife, scurried into the room and curtsied, her gaze low as befitted her station as a mere woman. Colonel RNN Camden smoothed his GI Joe issue kevlar vest and pulled out a cigar from the humidifier on the table beside him.  
  
"I'm going to be late for dinner," he announced. "Keep it warm, and wear something sexy for a damn change. You look like a grandmother."  
  
"I am a grandmother, Sir," Ruth intoned submissively.  
  
Colonel RNN Camden bit off the end of his cigar and spit it on the carpeted floor. "That doesn't let you off the hook, woman. I want dinner and a damn fine family values wifely sexing when I get back."  
  
"Yes, Sir," she said, leaning over to pick up the cigar tip. "Where are you going?"  
  
Colonel RNN Camden grinned as he chewed at his unlit cigar. He patted the pearl handled revolvers he wore at his sides.  
  
"I'm goin' to war, woman. I'm going to kill me some liberal, commie, flag burnin', faggot, condom using, hippie, umm...."  
  
"Ass?" Ruth suggested.  
  
"Yeah. That's it. Now, am I wearing pants?"  
  
"Of course you are, dear."  
  
"Good."  
  
His bare, flabby buttocks flopping in the cool Buffalo breeze, Colonel RNN Camden strode out to meet his destiny.  
  
****Glenoak****  
  
Morris' first class after lunch was gym. Normally it was his favorite time of the day, one of the few times he and Simon could be together. Today, with Simon absent and in trouble, he couldn't bear to go. Instead he carefully snuck out of school, heart racing as he thought of the probable punishment he would recieve for skipping class--a crime on par with saying "Shit" in Glenoak. He drove to Simon's house, intending to wait until Simon turned up.  
  
But there was a car already in the driveway of the CamPound, a car with rental tags. Morris wondered who it could be. Parking his Jeep behind it, he thought longingly of how nice it would be to be able to drive away, Simon beside him, the top down and the wind ruffling their hair. He and Simon could drive across the country, perhaps, go to school somewhere Back East. Morris was already being recruited by soccer coaches at the University of Vermont. He could just take Simon along for the ride...  
  
With a sigh he got out of the car and walked around to the back of the house to see if Simon's light was on. He stopped, shocked. Two men were sitting on the Camdens back porch, staring vacantly into space. They resembled each other so strongly that it was clear they must be brothers.  
  
"Who are you?" he asked, shocked into rudeness.  
  
The taller of the two men laughed. "Sheriff Rudy, NYPD," he answered. "This is my brother Ben. He's a firefighter. I suppose you're a Camden? Which one are you?"  
  
"I'm just a friend," Morris replied softly. There was something odd going on. He felt suddenly nervous. After a moment, he realized what was bothering him. From somewhere nearby he could hear a dog barking. It seemed to be coming from the garage and not the house, though. "Is that Happy?" he wondered out loud.  
  
"Is who Happy?" Sheriff Rudy asked with a dimwitted grin. "I'm happy I'm a police officer, but I work at the airport. They don't trust me to patrol unsupervised because I'm sooo handsome and sexy I might get into trouble. And I'm happy I met this beautiful girl, Lucy, too."  
  
Morris had had enough. "I'm going to see if the dog's in the garage," he said, backing away. The Brothers Dim followed him as he opened the garage door. Immediately the barking sounded much louder. It's coming from overhead, he realized. He climbed the stairs to garage treehouse apartment. Simon had showed it him once, months ago. Personally he thought it was a dump, but Simon's mom seemed unduly proud of it. Prouder than she was of her kids anyway.  
  
As soon as he opened the trapdoor, Happy came bounding over to meet him, barking ecstatically. Something was splattered all over the little dog. Praying that it wasn't Simon's, Morris rapidly scanned the apartment. He didn't recognize the man sprawled in the corner--but then, most of his face was gone. Only the end of his tie, dark blue and studded with gigantic fake diamonds, remained undamaged. Behind him, one of the shoddy plywood walls had been ripped away. Morris could see that the hollow space was filled with boxes. Boxes of electronic equipment--DVD players, computer components, stereos. Boxes filled with packets of a mysterious white powder. Boxes filled with guns and ammunition. And somehow the most shocking of all were the boxes filled with poorly made wooden crosses stamped "Made in Taiwan." Now he knew how the Reverend supported his numerous offspring and the Church of Jesus Christ and the Latter Day Camdens.  
  
Gathering Happy into his arms he slammed the trapdoor shut. "Nothing to see here," he calmly told the startled Brothers Dim. But inwardly his mind was racing. He had to make sure Simon was clear before he reported this! 


	9. Chapter 9

Title: Romance and Mysteries  
  
Authors: Linda23456, buck626, add_duck  
  
Authors' Note: As you can see, this fic is the work of many people. It's a running story where each person posts part of it and leaves it unfinished so that the next person can play along. The story is currently being worked on at televisionwithoutpity.com, so feel free to come on over and add your own piece.  
  
Disclaimer: We don't own the characters or anything else (Brenda Hampton, et al do), but if we did, things might be better…  
  
*********  
  
Chapter 9  
  
Robbie waited outside the gas station while IPS Joy ran inside to get them some diet sodas. Matt had disappeared into the men's room quite a while ago. What the hell was taking him so long in there?  
  
Robbie decided that as soon as Joy came back, they were going to leave Matt behind and head to Vegas. With any luck, they could be married by tonight! He stared into space while daydreaming of having adult relations with his beloved International Pop Sensation.  
  
He was jolted back to reality by the ringing of his cell phone. He checked the caller ID and answered it.  
  
"Rocco. What's up?" he answered.  
  
As he listened to the caller, he pulled up the left leg of his jeans to reveal a small revolver taped to his shin. He quickly covered it back up when he saw Matt and Joy walking towards him from the gas station.  
  
He glared at Matt and said into the phone, "I know I owe you a favor, Rocco. Don't worry. I'll handle it. In fact it should be pretty easy."  
  
Robbie ended the call and Joy asked, "Who was on the phone?"  
  
Robbie replied, "An old friend of mine. Rocco Greenberg. I met him when I spent some time back east. In New York."  
  
Matt and IPS started arguing again about what they were going to do, but Robbie interrupted, "I'll tell you what we're going to do. Our plan was to go to Vegas and that's where we're going.  
  
Joy whispered to him, "But what about Dopey? How are we going to get rid of him?"  
  
Robbie glared at Matt and replied "Don't worry. I'll deal with him. Why don't you drive? I'd like to stretch out in the back seat. Maybe I'll take a nap."  
  
Joy agreed and got into the driver's seat while Robbie climbed in the back. Matt flopped into the passenger seat and they were on their way. They pulled out of the gas station and sped into the California desert.  
  
Robbie was really tired, what with having to climb down a drain and retrieve his keys and all. So he slept in the back seat. As International Pop Sensation drove the car, Matt gazed at her. She was exquisite; with the way the wind ruffled her hair, and that body!! It was to die for. Matt struck up a conversation; the two talked about music, their lives and everything else under the sun. IPS slowly pulled to the side of the freeway; they were about halfway between Barstow and the state line -- some 20 miles from Baker. IPS leaned over to the passenger seat -- oh, she smelled so good to Matt. And that low-cut shirt revealed enough that Matt couldn't resist...  
  
"You know, Robbie and I have seen the Tommy-Pamela video. He's too chicken shit to take me." With that, Matt began kissing IPS, then the two began groping each other. Matt had just gotten her shirt off when Robbie suddenly awoke. Dazed and confused, he leapt out of the car and to the drive side, pulling the revolver from around his ankle.  
  
"What do you think you are doing?," Robbie screamed into the desert twighlight.  
  
"He made me do it, Robbie," IPS countered. "He.. he.. he was an animal."  
  
"Calm down, Robbie," Matt urged.  
  
Robbie pointed the gun at Matt, then at IPS, then back to Matt. Tears flowed down IPS' cheek, when suddenly, Robbie pointed the gun at her and fired twice. IPS was hurt badly, but still alive....  
  
After the two left IPS on the side of the freeway, Matt and Robbie sped off the freeway.  
  
"Dog gone it," said Matt, "You were supposed to wait. That's why I went in the restroom in Victorville -- to get condoms. I WAS FINALLY GOING TO GET LAID!!!"  
  
"Forget it," said Robbie. "That alley cat had been under everyone's fence, and quite frankly, she was a bore." The two headed for Vegas, where unbeknowst to them, Ruthie had struck it big and was staying in a Mirage penthouse room.  
  
And somewhere, Rocco smiled. He could always count on Robbie, but one thing puzzled him: He had heard a hit had been ordered by the rabbi, but didn't know who was to carry it out. While he liked the rabbi, his No. 1 priority would always be who he considered his superior: Mary.....  
  
Meanwhile, back on the airplane...  
  
Annie was happily focused on her destination. "Good thing I went back to school all those times and learned how to fly a plane!" she thought to herself.  
  
Mary came into the cockpit. "Uh, Mom? I have to say, the passengers are getting kind of restless. Maybe you could turn off the fasten seatbelt sign, so that I could serve some drinks to calm them down?"  
  
Annie, angry that her thoughts had been disturbed, snapped "I'm not turning off anything! Why don't you just serve those drinks anyway?"  
  
Mary bit her lip. "But, uh, Mom, the training I got said *specifically* that you can't serve the drinks until the captain turns off the fasten seat belt sign...and I *really* want this job to work out so I can prove I'm a responsible human being, so..."  
  
"Oh, just shut up and get out of my sight!" Annie snarled, turning off the fasten seatbelt sign. "And don't you DARE serve any alcohol!" she yelled after her eldest daughter.  
  
Mary returned to her seat, where Lucy was trying to calm the twins while contemplating the metal cage. "I got her to turn the sign off," Mary said in an annoyed voice. "But what does that have to do with your plan?"  
  
Lucy rolled her eyes. Mary was so dumb, there was no point in explaining. "Never mind. Are there any tools on this plane, like a wire cutter?"  
  
"How should I know?" Mary pouted. "What do I look like, a mechanic? And why does everybody always treat me like an idiot, anyway?" Angrily, Mary took out her eyelash curler and began primping.  
  
"Mary!" Lucy exclaimed. "Your eyelash curler! It might be just what I need! Give it to me!"  
  
"No way!" Mary declared. "You always get to be the smart one, the good one. Well, I get to be the pretty one. No way are you getting my cosmetic devices!"  
  
While the sisters squabbled in the cabin, Annie received another radio transmission from her husband. "Annie, please! Talk to me!" RevCam begged. "What made you do this? Did you forget to take your hormones this morning?"  
  
Simon groaned. "Dad, do you *really* think this is the time to bring that up?" he muttered. Sure enough, the Reverend's question was answered by high- pitched screeching. "Why, you...ungrateful...how DARE you...I gave you seven children!" Annie sputtered. "This is all your fault!"  
  
"What's my fault?" RevCam asked.  
  
"What you wrote in your planner!" Annie screeched, close to tears. "How *could* you?!"  
  
"What did I write in my planner?" RevCam thought, trying desperately to remember. To Annie, he said, "Sweetheart, we can work this out, I promise. Tell me where you're going, so Simon knows where to head the plane."  
  
Annie thought. "I'm going...to where there are volcanoes! You figure it out!"  
  
"Do you mean Hawaii?" RevCam guessed.  
  
"Well, there *are* volcanoes in Hawaii, aren't there?" Annie snarled. Actually, she had no idea if there were volcanoes in Hawaii or not. She had just made up the volcano thing to shut Ruthie up.  
  
"Um, Darling," RevCam began. "Hawaii is to the west. You're heading east...towards Nevada..."  
  
"Oh, would you SHUT UP!" Annie screamed. "Why do you always have to be right?" She didn't turn the plane around.  
  
Simon was worried. "Dad, what should I do?" he said.  
  
"Just follow her," RevCam answered. "Maybe there's something she wants to do in Nevada..." 


	10. Chapter 10

Title: Romance and Mysteries  
  
Authors: Hoedogg  
  
Authors' Note: As you can see, this fic is the work of many people. It's a running story where each person posts part of it and leaves it unfinished so that the next person can play along. The story is currently being worked on at televisionwithoutpity.com, so feel free to come on over and add your own piece.  
  
Disclaimer: We don't own the characters or anything else (Brenda Hampton, et al do), but if we did, things might be better…  
  
*********  
  
Chapter 10  
  
Nevada. Las Vegas, Nevada, of all places," Annie thought as she looked at the tracking device. "Ruthie sure does know how to get under my skin."  
  
She chuckled to herself. Oh, if only her husband knew all the things going on in her head right now, then he would just leave her alone. She almost wished she could tell him over the cockpit radio, tell him what she knew. But he could not be trusted.  
  
It was wonderful how the voices had become more clear to her -- now she could almost hear each one distinctly.  
  
One had reminded her what she had seen in the planner: "Pay cover-up $ to Sgt. Michaels." What secret was her husband trying to cover up? Was he having an affair? Using drugs? Committing some other heinous crime?  
  
Obviously he was involved in something evil, and Sgt. Michaels, another man, was in on it. Simon and Matt could be too. They were men. Oh God. Her own flesh and blood, behind her back. That was why she had to do it. She had to take her daughters and the twins who were still pure, and save them from whatever evil her husband and the other men of the world were involved in.  
  
A second voice had reminded her why she had called all those women between two and four a.m. It wasn't to have the women meet her at the destination, as she had thought earlier. The voice had cleared up her confusion; she had called to cancel their church's women's group meeting.  
  
They were supposed to have organized a fundraising bake sale at the meeting this morning. But how could Annie possibly spearhead such a meeting when she had much more immediate family business to attend to? Since she had known she and the girls would have to leave at dawn, she needed to call the women before sunrise.  
  
It had seemed so trivial at the time. Why bother to call these women? But the third voice had reminded her she was a Camden and she needed to protect her reputation. It would have been impolite for her simply to not show up.  
  
Oh, the third voice was the one that sent shivers up her spine, the one she dared never to disobey. It was the raspy-sounding one that had told her to gather the family this morning. It had told her to leave Ruthie at the rest stop because she was endangering the plan. It had told her to smack Lucy when she defied her will. And it had told her to command control of the airplane. She feared the voice, yet it empowered her.  
  
It had empowered her months ago when, making small talk with Sgt. Michaels, she had asked if the police ever used tracking devices on cars. "Sometimes," he had answered.  
  
"What a fantastic stalking tool," the raspy voice had told her. "You need one of those for Matt's Camaro."  
  
That voice had also told her to use Robbie, to have him steal one of the automobile-tracking devices from the Glenoak P.D. office. She knew Robbie was friends with a boy in the Jewish Mafia, so he had "connections". And she was the only Camden who knew this truth about him. Rabbi Glass had heard it through his "Family" and told her privately, for fear that Robbie was plotting something evil against the mother of their secret lovechild. But the voice in her head had instructed her not to worry. And it had been right, as always.  
  
Robbie had been such a pushover. "Yes Mrs. Camden, I'll have Rocco send someone to steal the device Mrs. Camden, please don't throw me out of your house, I'll have nowhere else to go." Pathetic.  
  
And so she had Robbie install the stolen bug on Matt's Camaro those many months ago, feeding her the information she craved through the stolen tracking device. The best part was that it eliminated the need for her husband, the middleman. Even though the reverend's stalking skills were virtually unmatched, she had always had to wait for him to return home to hear the news.  
  
Such anxiety was unnecessary now. She had the tracking device! Now she could instantly know when Matt went to the library, or the hospital, or anywhere else. The device was almost magical. It had made the anxiety go away.  
  
For comfort she had brought it into the cockpit with her. Then the raspy voice that scared yet empowered her had told her to use it. And that is how she knew.  
  
She knew that her last chance to save Ruthie was to land this JetBlue baby on the Vegas strip... 


	11. Chapter 11

Title: Romance and Mysteries  
  
Authors: 7thSpud, Halcyon  
  
Authors' Note: As you can see, this fic is the work of many people. It's a running story where each person posts part of it and leaves it unfinished so that the next person can play along. The story is currently being worked on at televisionwithoutpity.com, so feel free to come on over and add your own piece.  
  
Disclaimer: We don't own the characters or anything else (Brenda Hampton, et al do), but if we did, things might be better…  
  
*********  
  
Chapter 11  
  
Wanting to get away from the hotel and casino for a little while, Ruthie decided to drive around town a little. On a lark, she decided to take a picnic lunch out to Lake Tahoe.  
  
While stopped at a traffic light, she noticed a small black box with wires, affixed to the dashboard just underneath the steering wheel.  
  
Hmmm, what's this? I've played in Matt's car before, when I'd sit in his lap in the garage and he let me pretend to be driving. How come I never noticed that box before?  
  
As the light turned green and she accelerated, she noticed that the display on the little black box indicated her precise direction. Coincidence? She was too smart for that.  
  
Oh shit! Mom must have installed this thing to keep track of Matt. Now she's sure to find me unless I do something!  
  
Ruthie pulled off the road for a minute, yanked with all her might until the box was disconnected, placed it underneath the front car tire, and drove over it on her way out of town.  
  
She knows I'm in Vegas now, so I'll have to choose another direction....  
  
Back in the plane, Annie realizes she is no longer getting signals from the Matt-tracking device.  
  
Ah, I knew the black box couldn't fool Ruthie for very long. She always was the smartest one in the family, she must have inherited it from her Jewish father.  
  
As she was thinking wistfully of her long ago love affair with Rabbi Glass, the raspy voice woke her from her trance.  
  
Don't forget, you've got a mission: The Volcano!  
  
Annie put her thoughts of Ruthie and her biological father in the back of her mind. She knew the young girl could take care of herself in Vegas.  
  
With that Annie gave the plane a sharp turn towards the north. She knew what she had to do, and neither Rosie nor anyone else was going to get her off track now.  
  
The raspy voice kept repeating in her head, if you feed It, It will erupt.  
  
Annie understood exactly what the voice meant. She would have to sacrifice her two youngest boys, Sam and David to The Volcano. Lucy and Mary would help her by throwing them into the mouth of Mount Saint Helen's while the plane hovered just above. Then the fiery lava would spread over the Earth cleansing all sins and sinners.  
  
It wouldn't be much longer until they were in Washington State. She yelled for Mary to come into the cockpit so she could explain the plan. Hopefully that year of stewardess training would finally be of some use. 


	12. Chapter 12-The End

Title: Romance and Mysteries  
  
Authors: Matt McClendon, Tiger220  
  
Authors' Note: As you can see, this fic is the work of many people. It's a running story where each person posts part of it and leaves it unfinished so that the next person can play along. The story is currently being worked on at televisionwithoutpity.com, so feel free to come on over and add your own piece.  
  
Disclaimer: We don't own the characters or anything else (Brenda Hampton, et al do), but if we did, things might be better…  
  
*********  
  
Chapter 12  
  
Darkness. Where am I? Slowly, International Pop Sensation Joy Enriquez opened her eyes. Still dark. What could that mean? "Hello? Is anyone there?"  
  
"If I'm not mistaken, you're International Pop Sensation Joy Enriquez."  
  
"Yes, yes I am. Thank you for noticing. Who are you? Where am I?"  
  
"I'm Jewish American Princess Sarah, Matt's wi-...I mean, fiance. You're at Glenoak General Hospital. You've been shot."  
  
"Oh no! I remember now. It was Robbie! He shot me! It was all Matt's fault! But wait. Why can't I see?"  
  
But Sarah had no interest in Joy's plight. "Matt? You've seen Matt? He tried to run me over! He DID run me over!"  
  
Joy couldn't help laughing. "Robbie shoots me and Matt runs you over. Those Camden boys sure do have issues with women!"  
  
Sarah chuckled. "Oy!"  
  
Suddenly the room grew warmer. The International Pop Sensation frantically pushed her call button, but she was an unknown at this hospital. Nobody cared if they were baking. The heat was unbearable. Joy clutched her head in pain, as a vision burned itself into her brain. Annie Camden. Throwing her helpless toddlers into a volcano! The earth shook, but this was no earthquake. The bedridden girls looked out the window as the world turned red. Hot lava burst through the sidewalk melting everything and everyone it touched. It was everywhere. They saw it shoot up to the heavens, they saw it slither across the sidewalk and down the street. They watched silently as the linoleum beneath them began to melt.  
  
******Epilogue*******  
  
As quickly as it started, it was over. There was nothing left. The world slowly faded from burning red, to fiery orange and yellow, until finally everything was charred and black. Dead. There was nothing. There was no one. In her pursuit to rid the world of all it's sinners Annie Camden forgot one simple thing. Everybody sins. 


End file.
